PRO FOOTBALL : Montana’s Bombs Burn Seattle : Under Fire, He Throws for 4 Touchdowns in 49ers’ 38-7 Victory

The “Dump Joe Montana” movement got a real setback.

Montana threw 4 touchdown passes Sunday, 3 to Jerry Rice, and the San Francisco 49ers overwhelmed the Seattle Seahawks, 38-7.

“We had a lot of people questioning our judgment on Joe Montana,” 49er Coach Bill Walsh said. “Well, he’s an All-Pro from last year, the leading passer in the league who has broken all kinds records. He’s the guy we have to go with.”

After Montana threw 3 interceptions in San Francisco’s loss to Atlanta last week, Walsh received a lot of free advice from the media and fans that he should replace Montana with Steve Young.

Montana wouldn’t talk about the 49ers’ quarterback controversy after the Seahawks’ game, but he would talk about the game.

“We had our running game going today and that helps your passing game,” he said. “Sometimes you pick up guys like Jerry in one-on-one coverage and sometimes you don’t. Today, we did.”

Montana teamed with the Rice on scoring passes plays of 1, 69 and 60 yards, and passed 13 yards to tight end John Frank for another score. He threw 1 interception.

Montana, who has 10 touchdown passes this season, completed 20 of 29 passes for 302 yards. He was replaced by Young late in the third quarter with the 49ers ahead, 31-7. Young threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wilson in the fourth quarter.

“What we need are more fans and fewer experts,” 49er center Randy Cross said of the controversy.

The 49ers (3-1) took a 17-0 halftime lead on Montana’s touchdown passes of 1 yard to Rice and 13 yards to Frank, and a 21-yard field goal by Mike Cofer.

Montana and Rice burned the Seahawks (2-2) for their two long touchdowns in the second half to make it 14-0. Rice caught 6 passes for 163 yards and ended a scoring drought after catching only 1 touchdown pass in San Francisco’s first 3 games.

The Seahawks scored on Kelly Stouffer’s 46-yard pass play to Ray Butler in the third quarter.

Jeff Kemp, filling in for injured No. 1 quarterback Dave Krieg, completed only 1 of 12 passes in the first half, having 3 passes intercepted in the second quarter before being replaced by Stouffer.

Stouffer completed 11 of 15 passes for 133 yards and threw an interception.